1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cotton strippers and, more specifically, to cotton strippers capable of harvesting narrowly spaced rows of cotton.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cotton is typically grown in large fields, and planted in parallel rows which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. Cotton strippers, which exist in a variety of configurations, are capable of harvesting four, to six rows of cotton with each pass. Presently available commercial cotton strippers, for example, the John Deere Model 7460 Cotton Stripper, typically include individual row units supported forwardly of a cross-auger frame. Cotton, along with cotton stalk and other debris, is swept from the row-receiving area by a pair of brush rolls supported on either side of the row of cotton and angling upwardly in the rearward direction. An auger supported above a rounded auger housing outwardly of each of the brush rolls conveys the material rearwardly to a cross auger. The row unit auger shafts are gear driven, and the axes of the brush roll shafts run at an angle to the axes of the auger shafts. Cotton plants enter a forwardly opening plant passage in the row unit as the harvester moves forwardly through the field, and the counter-rotating brush rolls strip the cotton from the plants. The row unit augers move the stripped cotton rearwardly from the harvesting compartment to the cross auger on the harvester.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,938, issued Feb. 1, 2000, to Deutsch et al., and assigned to Deere & Company, discloses a high capacity cotton harvester with a commonly seen design. The cotton harvester includes as many as eight or more brush type row units mounted on a cross auger system having a split cross auger structure with two auger portions for moving material inwardly toward a central location. Cotton is sucked through the rear of the central location into two separation chambers, one for each auger portion, and into the lower portions of two corresponding conveying ducts which extend upwardly and outwardly at bend locations located just above the rockshaft and below the cab floor. Each duct includes a nozzle directing air upwardly above the bend location so that cotton is sucked into the bend for better distribution in the duct. The ducts extend upwardly at an angle to the vertical direction and include uppermost sections extending rearwardly over the input sections of the two cleaners. The uppermost sections are angled from the horizontal plane and distribute the cotton evenly over cleaner inlets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,770, issued Jul. 13, 1982, to Schlucter, and assigned to Deere & Company, also provides a detailed look at a row unit. As can be seen in FIG. 9 of this patent, each row unit has a central opening with a brush roll on either side of the opening. The brush rolls are, in turn, surrounded by a pair of rotating augers. This multiplicity and arrangement of parts, common to each row unit of the overall assembly, of necessity, takes up a predetermined width with respect to the spacing of the cotton rows being harvested.
With growing population sizes worldwide, it is becoming ever more prevalent to increase the efficiency of crop production and harvesting. For example, it is advantageous to increase the number of plant rows per acre of crop in order increase the density of crops available for harvest. However, once the number of rows per acre is increased, the number of rows a stripper is capable of harvesting in each pass must also be increased. Providing space on existing harvesters for the equipment necessary for adequate conveying and cleaning capacity for more than six rows of cotton, providing accessible drive for such equipment, and providing sufficient vertical range necessary for ground clearance and good ground-following ability have all been problems. Providing a narrow stripper unit which still has good picking efficiency, minimal cotton loss, and access to the brush roll and conveyor areas for servicing and cleaning blockages has been a continuing source of difficulty.
Despite the advances seen in the cotton stripper industry, a need therefore continues to exist for an improved cotton stripper capable of harvesting narrowly spaced cotton rows.